The Halloween Kids (TV series)
The Halloween Kids is a Canadian TV series that aired from 2000-2002 on YTV It was created by and based on the books by Elliot Strange and developed by Strange, Owen Emerson, Avi Tiran, Blair Peters and Chris Bartleman. The show aired on Nickelodeon, right before their TEENick block due to confusion over the show's intended demographic and it not fitting with the other programs on the block. Each episode aired once and due to the show not getting a home media release, it became lost until Strange uploaded copies of each episode on his website. Production The Halloween Kids was produced by Nelvana Limited, Artemis Entertainment, Amethyst Media and Gecko Studios, in association with Studio B Productions. The pilot was completed in 1999 but didn't air until 2000, with ensuing episodes being made throughout early-2001 and airing late into the year. The show was independently funded, with additional provisions given through Vantage Capital, owners of Gecko Studios. At the time the show was made, Strange was involved with a rights battle with Route 90 Publishing, the publisher of the book series the show was based on. Route 90 claimed the rights to any and future royalties for material based on the books. Strange would attempt to exploit a loophole to bring the show to American audiences, but Route 90 pushed back. As of today, Strange owns the rights to the books (along with the show due to it being funded through Gecko's parent company.) Voices for the show were recorded in Toronto and Vancouver through Gecko Studios and Studio B respectively. Broadcast The show aired on YTV in Canada. New episodes are aired twice in a back-to-back marathon, though this was later changed to the next day at the same time. The show also aired on Trouble in the United Kingdom, Nine Network in Australia, 2x2 in Russia and Locomotion in Latin America. Nickelodeon was among one of three choices for an American network, the others being Fox Kids and KidsWB!. The circumstances behind Nick picking up the show is unknown. Due to the show not having an established age or gender demographic, Nickelodeon put the show at a late time slot, it being the last show before transitioning to the TEENick block. Reruns aired on The N in 2002 but from then, the show fell into obscurity. Plot The show is set in the fictional town of Belbury, a rural suburban community. In the books, Belbury is based somewhere in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont or southwestern Massachusetts, but due to the show's Canadian roots, it was left ambiguous, though it's suggested that Belbury was moved to either Alberta or Saskatchewan. The show has no set main characters, with the name of the show referring to the fact that Belbury was founded on Halloween. Among the more prominent characters are the Slaatsky and Mahoney families, the former are returning natives who had originally left after the father Boris took the wrong side in a debate regarding a coup a paranormal team he was part of engaged in, and now they go about trying to fix their lives. The youngest, Jupiter, prefers to keep to herself, Selma finds herself siding with a group of bullies and the mother Hanneke, sides with the neighborhood watch and occasionally engage in their own plots. The Mahoneys are Wisconsin natives, led by matriarch and former local wrestler Dakota. The family is mostly dysfunctional, consisting of the diva Adelaide, the hopelessly dim Artemis, the conceited sport fanatic Mabel, the egotistical Jody and his twin sister, the violent and often hypocritical Judy, the kind punk Julie and later on, Ellen, their snooty cousin. Episodes focus on either family, but goes on to other characters as well with the aforementioned two usually playing some part. Structure Episodes feature a cold open. Most of the time they're used to establish the plot and wrap up any loose ends, other times they're played for laughs. In rare instances, the episode engages in what they call a Nedrush, where they show something that breaks the flow of the episode but mostly keeps with the plot, quickly establishing something important, often when the main plot comes out shorter than expected, and named for Ned who narrates these. Each episode contains a post credit scene after the production company logos, having the same principal as the cold open. Characters Prominent Characters The show had no set main characters. This denotes characters who appeared the most often. * Jupiter Slaatsky (Andrea Libman): Jupiter is a white-haired bubbly girl who for years found it difficult to express herself due to her father's attitude. She had an inferiority complex and felt uninterested in trying to make a name for herself. For years she had held back feelings of anxiety, resentment and malevolence toward Boris and Suzy, which manifested into a dark form that overcame her and turned her into a monster, in Suziopath. Jupiter is revealed to be a vessel for one of the spirits from the Raven Stakes' coup, leading to her white hair (akin to Suzy being possessed by a corrupt spirit and getting black hair.) Early in the first season, Jupiter had a running gag where she had a bizarre obsession with blue jeans. Affiliated with the Weirdos * Selma Slaatsky (Janyse Jaud): Selma takes after her father, and tends to be abrasive and crude, inhibiting her from making friends. This reflects on her school life, where she tends to bully most of her female peers. Selma is into sports that mainly involve the use of rackets, specifically tennis, badminton and lacrosse, plus she has a hefty appetite. She has a dysfunctional relationship with Jupiter and tends to bully her; this is mainly out of jealousy for the fact that Jupiter is hardly affected by the mostly dysfunctional nature of their parents. Deep down, Selma was troubled and felt too scared to express her true feelings. Over the course of the series, she opens up and even makes peace with Jupiter. Affiliated with Julie's gang. * Boris Slaatsky (Long John Baldry): Hanneke's husband and the father of Selma and Jupiter. Boris is a Russian immigrant, and a bumbling idiot who has seemingly given up on life. His mindset was spurred by encounters during the Red Scare, where every attempt at him trying to help was deterred by everyone's paranoia at the time. This, along with his strong admiration for Lyndon B. Johnson inspiring him to proceed with the fatal coup further put a strain on his mind and he found it difficult to get over. Unlike Lars and Luther who have been driven to harsh extremes due to constant alienation, Boris takes this with good humor and is willing to let his wife be with the committee, as is allowing the kids to make their own decisions (though this is often misconstrued as gross negligence.) After hitting a mental crossroad near the anniversary of the coup, Boris finds the will to stand up against his former friends, succeeding in mending the bond with his family. At the end of the series, Boris goes to apply for a citizenship, with Burt giving him incriminating info to use as blackmail for easy clearance. * Hanneke Slaatsky (nee Demke) (Kathleen Barr): Boris' wife. Hanneke clashes heavily with her husband and is not ashamed of it. He had viewed her lowly for years, seeing her as a means to an end, and as a result she became apathetic to their marriage. She has cheated on him with Belbury's single males to maintain a semblance of sanity. When she's not with Boris, she is more comfortable with being herself, as in a partier and a sports fan. She works at a news station, though the extent of that job has never been revealed, she's firmly established to be the source of the family's income. From Safford, Arizona. Affiliated with the Neighborhood Committee. * Dakota Mahoney (Jayne Eastwood): Delta's daughter and Artemis and Julie's mother. Dakota is a pro-wrestler who seems to be more obsessed with her body image than Enid, with the two serving as friendly rivals. Dakota tends to be rough and is prone to angry outbursts, and due to her line of work she is unable to always be there for her family, but whenever a crisis occurs, she's willing to drop everything to help. She was a three-time champion at a local wrestling club in her hometown. Dakota is part Scottish and part Irish. From Wausau, Wisconsin. * Julie Mahoney (Kathleen Barr): A punk girl who often takes the role of a contrarian. She used to be a prominent street rat until she got the chance to turn her life around. Julie holds a strong moral compass and sticks up for much weaker individuals, though she tends to be very sarcastic to most people she isn't fond of. Julie used to be a typical girly girl, but after breaking due to years of mockery, devolved to he current phase and made it her own. * Artemis Mahoney (Megan Fahlenbock): Julie's older sister, the middle child of the family. Artemis is a street-wise individual who shares a similar moralistic view to Julie. She also tends to be naive, going along with anything no matter how insane it is. She is picky about who she wants to follow, and is quick to chastise anyone she suspects of being fake. Artemis is friends with Yorba, her equivalent. * Adelaide Mahoney (Stacey DePass): The eldest daughter in the Dallows. Adelaide has psychic powers, which she keeps secret and uses to keep tabs on those she's against. She has a typical love/hate relationship with Artemis and Julie, namely due to differing personalities. In spite of this, Adelaide does care for her family, and her nature seems to be due to her wanting to preserve order in the house. Adelaide is friends with Mercury and Linda, and she tends to use the latter to cover for her. * Ellen Mahoney (Tegan Moss): Julie's cousin. Starkly contrasting to Julie, Ellen is a civilized and somewhat feminine girl. She had attended private school after suffering a mental breakdown at her old one and was absent for a majority of the show. At first, she served as a rival to Julie due to the latter unknowingly humiliating her years ago, but both reconcile. Ellen goes to the same school as Julie and somehow wound up with the Elites. * Jody and Judy Mahoney (Samuel Vincent and Tabitha St. Germain): Twins, as well as a year Julie's senior. Jody is a narcissist and Judy tends to get the worst of it, though he seems to be more aware of his behavior than others believe as he tries to justify what he does with no expectancy of total forgiveness. He also makes good on promises, doing whatever he can to fulfill them and is against cheating. Judy is more laidback, but suffers from anger issues. She tends to beat up Jody and obsess about factors of him that she hates the most. She is unaware of her own behavior and likes to believe she is morally right, but this leads to severe ramifications. The two make peace later on, having finally come to grips with their personalities. * Mabel Mahoney (Jenn Forgie): A sports fanatic, and third eldest daughter. Mabel serves as a middle ground in an otherwise dysfunctional family and is on good terms with Jody, always being there to give him advice and defend him depending on the situation. She has taken a sports scholarship and attends a different school, as a result she isn't seen as often in episodes that don't center on Julie or her family. The Weirdos The Weirdos are a gang of children encompassing multiple personalities and means of handling situations. They're generally ostracized by others, not out of malicious intentions but fear of getting harmed by them. Jupiter had grown close to them and wound up joining them. They were virtually unchanged from their book counterparts. *'Alison Meeks (Maryke Hendrikse):' The leader. Alison is a spunky talkative girl and the leader of the Halloween Kids. She is knowledgeable on everything obscure or irrelevant to what's currently happening, with a varying payoff. Since she was the first to discover the club's first monster, she had leeway in becoming their leader. While generally optimistic, Alison also tends to be somewhat moody and short-tempered. She also tends to be somewhat selfish whenever an opportunity comes for her to gain power, leading to people turning against her, even Colleen. She wears shades frequently, done to cover her disfigured set of eyes which she believed was caused by a rare eye disorder, but it was caused by a pact her family made with the Headless Inspectre to preserve their lives, leading to disfigurement on their next born child as a permanent reminder to never invoke his wrath. Alison was born in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. *'Colleen Dixon (Jillian Michaels):' Colleen is Alison's best friend. Colleen is a somewhat shy girl who takes on a deadpan persona when she's forced to interact with others. Colleen stuck with Alison because the latter understood her better and is helping build her self-esteem. She wants to become a stronger individual and learn to fight her own battles in order to be like her parents. Colleen is typically the voice of reason or one who'd rather gawk at certain things, but she tends to be just as bad, often worse than Alison when she loses control. Colleen's from Denver, Colorado. *'Sam Proctor (Julie Lemieux):' A girl who's into magic and planting and is also a bookworm. It's revealed that she's a witch, but she keeps it under wraps so she could make friends easier and maintain a normal life. Sam is very cynical, and tends to be the first to criticize potentially bad ideas, and she also has low patience. She is also very calm, but is easily provoked and merciless when angered. She found herself unwilling to loosen up since previous attempts led to humiliation. In One-two Skadoo, it's revealed that for a time she had been the youngest member of their team. *'Jerry Sandoval (Ian James Corlett):' The only boy in the group. Jerry is a wide-eyed cowardly boy, and lacking in any major powers. As a result, he is often used as bait for most missions or as a sacrifice when dealing with authority figures. This seemingly does little to phase him, and he has generally accepted his place in the group. Jerry is often used for comedic relief in more serious episodes. *'Jenny Sandoval (Sarah Gadon):' An alien girl who was sent to Earth by her family due to miscommunication between them and their overlord. She landed in Belbury and befriended Jerry, who was the only human who wasn't afraid of her. She is taken in by Ned and treated as if he was her own. Because of her lack of experience on Earth, Jenny comes off as somewhat naive and may engage in acts normal to her, but too bizarre for everyone else. *'Becky Newton (Britt Irvin):' A girl who has the ability to turn into a werewolf, as well as the daughter of Laney. Becky ran away from home a few months prior to the start of the series and had a run-in with Victoria who turned her into a werewolf, though due to her change being brought on through DNA extraction, it was more of a mutation than a traditional affliction. Something of a wallflower, her shyness prevented her from making friends back then, so when she ran away nobody realized it. Becky is typically calm and quiet, only opening up to those she's close to, but is also easily angered. She develops a crush on Randall after he encouraged her to return to Belbury and face her mother. As a human, Becky has heightened senses and reflexes, but for fear of losing control, she rarely brings out her werewolf form. Julie's Gang A team of bullies with a rigid moral compass. These bullies prefer to maintain order in the school and are opposed to those who tease and attack others without provocation. This wasn't the case until Julie became the leader and turned them to a more noble cause. * Victor Fulton (Peter Oldring): A toady boy with a unibrow and buck teeth. He's a dealer and a prankster who only acts when he knows he could get away with it. He often goes into things without thinking and tends to throw his friends into danger to save himself from any trouble. Other times, if the situation seems hopeless, Victor would do anything to get out of it. * Thaddeus "Corky" Winthrop: '''A timid mute boy who is best identified by the fact that he wears a bicycle helmet almost all of the time. While the point of ridicule, the helmet seems to be hiding Corky's weirdest trait, though some believe it's meant to cover a soft spot. Everyone refers to Corky by his actual name, Thaddeus, but only in Julie's circle do they call him Corky, and until Unusual Suspects, they didn't know what his actual name was. * '''Mackenzie MacPherran (Chiara Zanni): A fizzy jock and a fitness fanatic. Mack is close to Julie, with the latter even being trained by her. Both are seen together the most compared to other members of the group, with Jupiter coming to a close second. Mack is also somewhat squeamish when it comes to more dire situations and doesn't think through what she says, and tends to speak in lingo. Mack is Julie's oldest friend, with the relationship extending to her mother (Muriel) and Dakota and she is in a relationship with Jody, initially to Judy's disgust but she lets it go to coincide with the end of their feud. * Angela Asbrew (Stephanie Morgenstern): Kerry’s niece. Angela is a bit of a loner and generally anti-social. This was brought on by a troubled home life. She left her parents after they showed indifference to when she got separated from them and was sent to live with Kerry via a court order. Kerry wasn't any better at raising her, thanks to his mental issues, and it worsened her own bad aspects. Angela is insecure and lacks self-esteem. Angela lacks the initiative to go out and make friends, save for Selma since she shares her poor social skills. She suffers from chronic nosebleeds which typically occur when she's flustered. Among her interests are playing the piano and flying kites. * Megan Chavari (Vanessa Morley): A girl who's best identified by her buck teeth and trucker cap. She's passive aggressive and insecure, losing her cool when people make fun of her. Megan has trouble concentrating and it's suggested that she has some kind of learning disability, though this was hardly explored. She has a crush on Jerry, but he doesn't respond well to her advances as she chooses an aggressive approach. *'Dante Ahrens (Tony Sampson):' A bully of a mild nature. Dante doesn't seek to harm anyone unless they provoke him, or if someone hires him to. Over the course of the series, Dante attempts to better himself after feeling out of sync with his social status. He develops a crush on Julie and the two get together in the second season. Dante's appearance is based after Chevelle vocalist Pete Loeffler. *'Clifford (Brian Drummond):' A heavyset bully who's the muscle of the entire group. Clifford tends to bully other people on his own volition, but he claims it's not out of malicious desire, but rather for entertainment. He's more distant from the group and only seems to act with them on a business basis, and it's implied he suffers from some form of social anxiety. The Raven Stakes A now retired supernatural investigation team. They grew apart following a devastating attack on what turned out to be innocent spirits who wanted to aid the Stakes. They've been ostracized by the neighborhood for their efforts, with some showing no remorse for their actions, with some only joining for perks rather than genuine interest. Most members deserted the Stakes, with the remaining ones getting killed off in the finale. Each had tattoos to symbolize their allegiance to the group. Former members like Bob, Kerry and Cosmo had theirs burned off by the Committee after switching their allegiance, while Boris merely scraped the skin where his was given. * Kerry Hubbard (Stephen Ouimette): Angela's uncle and a realtor. Kerry seems to lack mental stability, often quick to go into extremes if no one's around to keep him in line. His obsession with integrity puts him at odds with Angela, thanks to her more rebellious nature. Kerry was once married to Hope Chapley, through a shotgun marriage, but he broke up with her due to her being more unhinged than him. The root of Kerry's mental problems has never been identified, though it's believed he suffers from Bipolar Disorder. Kerry had attempted to remain with the Stakes, but he gradually grew apart from them and defected to the Committee, especially after Lars teased him more aggressively. Kerry's Jewish and it's established in Die-Section. Kerry's from Manchester, Iowa. * Cosmo Kadic (Roger Dunn): A principal at Belbury Middle School. Cosmo is prideful and quick to get instigated when challenged. Beyond his closest friends and family, he seemingly cares little about the well-being of others, shown by him tormenting numerous students whilst he was in college. He also seems to use his job as principal to let out his more sociopathic tendencies, all to enforce his role as principal. The means he goes to do this is a reason why numerous supernatural beings attend the school, and also why he and Ms. Chapley are the only constant members of the faculty. In spite of his demeanor, he doesn't actively hate anyone unless they antagonize him. Cosmo's demeanor stems from the death of his wife and his reluctance to start a new relationship. He had a fierce rivalry with Burt in the first episode, but wound up joining the committee with Bob and Kerry, noting the declining stability of the stakes and sharing an equal hatred for obnoxious people. From Great Falls, Montana. * Ned Sandoval (Hiro Kanagawa): Jerry and Jenny's father. Ned is a generally weird man, having a strong obsession with aliens and doing various unorthodox things when not in the company of others. He often refers to everything as "fascinating", paying no mind to what's happening to or around him. As a result of his behavior he's often left out of various activities and his wife is more favored than him. Ned seemed to have been little more than a punching bag or a meat shield to the Stakes, and he was often the butt of many jokes, though he seems ignorant of that. From Wahpeton, North Dakota. * Bob Dixon (Howard Jerome): The team's brawn, and Colleen's father. For a time, he was the strongest man in Belbury, best known for his dexterity and better resistance to pain. This was compromised when he was involved in a car accident a year after the Stakes disbanded, breaking his back and both of his ankles in the process. Years of recovery rendered him out of shape and he walks with the aid of a cane. Beforehand, he hated the Stakes as he was bulled frequently by Lars and Boris beforehand and had his reputation ruined by them so he'd be forced to work with them. During a prank, he sold them out and promptly defected to the Committee's side, being the first of the group to do so. Bob came from Anderson, Missouri and was often the victim of teasing due to him being Jewish in one of the more prominent parts of the Bible Belt, and as a result he found it hard to truly trust anyone, leading to a mild sense of contempt with the world. His wife Enid and daughter Colleen, along with most members of the committee are exceptions as they share similar views to him. Bob is envisioned as a "Jewish Archie Bunker." Neighborhood Committee Basically rivals to the Raven Stakes. Hurt over the latter's final coup, they're quick to assume the Stakes would return to more violent ways, which in turn would affect the town. The committee has access to a dimension, home to a giant gecko monster with whom he's fed the bodies of those that have harmed Belbury. On the surface, the committee is greatly opposed to obnoxious people and resort to twisted means to preserve sensibility, heavily targeting Lars and Luther. * Burton Waloski (Richard Newman): A billionare who's the leader of the committee. Contrary to the archetype, Burton is a very generous man, who's willing to help lower class individuals. He has a level of animosity toward the Stakes; he doesn't like Cosmo for his pride and propensity to attack his financial class, he's more than aware of Kerry's mental instability, he's weirded out by Ned and Lars' family had targeted the Waloskis in the past. Nevertheless, he and the Stakes tend to find solidarity when their neighborhood is at risk. From Kellogg, Idaho. * Jade Waloski (Linda Ballantyne): Burton's wife. Seemingly poised as a trophy wife, Jade is actually a very intelligent woman, being the only one in the neighborhood to graduate with a degree, though she was never able to find a career in her field that made her happy. Jade is a timid and frail hypochondriac who is often seen with her husband and is reluctant to stand on her own. From Rapid City, South Dakota. * Amber Meeks (Patricia Drake): Alison's aunt and current guardian and the mother of Linda, Yorba and Nixon. Amber's a bit high strung, though this doesn't completely overtake her personality. Amber cares deeply for her family, and tends to be very emotional. In the past, she was a rebellious girl, something that led to her and an estranged sister getting turned into werewolves, and Amber's still hurt by that. From Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. * Enid Dixon (Linda Kash): Colleen's mother. Basically Bob's equal, Enid had been a victim of bullying due to her height along with a rumor of her supposedly having a green nipple, and she had also been a victim of religion-related bullying as she came from a state within the bible belt. While Enid often goes against Bob's means of parenting most of the time, she is still strict and mostly old-fashioned. She reportedly started the "silent sixteen" movement for people unwilling to take part in political affairs. Enid is from Batesville, Arkansas. * Majel Sandoval (Nicole Oliver): Ned's wife. Contrary to her more eccentric husband, Majel is neurotic and seemingly depressed. Compared to other couples, she is desperate to get rid of her husband, to the point she is willing to let him go into space for some alone time (A Star Too Far). She is more favored than her husband due to her neighbors being equally cynical. Beyond her nature, she finds reprieve in shoegaze music and science-fiction. Majel seems to favor Jenny more than Jerry, vice versa with her husband. From Greeley, Colorado. * Henrietta "Hen" Perrino (Sally Cahill): Lars' wife and Francis' mother. Hen is a cold and calculating woman who seeks to get her way by any means necessary. Hen has an inferiority complex, brought on by an otherwise critical home-life, and has picked up some of those habits into adulthood. She was Lars' childhood bully, but was forced to get together with him due to their parents believing that she had a crush on him. Their relationship is mostly troubled, with Lars' behavior reminding her too much of her own father. Her name is actually a new identity, for after her father forced her to take a job that prevented her from getting a more preferable one, she faked her death and fled home. Hen is Majel's best friend, the two of them knew each other from high school through to college and occasionally get together when the committee isn't up, plus Majel is the only one who knows Hen better than anyone else, even her family. From Ardmore, Oklahoma. * Delta Meeks (Ellen Ray Hennessy): Victoria and Amber's mother, and Alison, Linda, Yorba and Nixon's grandmother. Delta used to work as an English teacher before she was goaded into an early retirement. Unlike the rest of her family, she had remained in her hometown until Three of the Dog Women, and from there she moved to Belbury permanently. Delta is a friendly woman who prefers to approach every issue with caution, only breaking that principal when driven to the edge. * Lynn Newton (Kathleen Laskey): A former evangelist and a pastor at Belbury's local church. She is one of the more frail parts of the group, second to Jade, but it doesn't prevent her from speaking her mind. Lynn has an obsession with stripes and always has a wide-eyed look. She had an estranged husband who got killed years ago and she had trouble finding a new husband, later getting together with Cosmo who faced the same situation. From Kingwood, West Virginia. * Andy Hammond (Scott McNeil): An uppity man who rarely holds back when it comes to criticizing people. Andy is generally anti-social, which heavily affected his work life because of his penchant to snap. His attitude enabled him to earn a relationship with Chris, later Autumn and Martha when they met. In spite of his demeanor, he could surprisingly be reasoned with once someone talks to him long enough, and he's seemingly not very bright, as he tends to go against his own social doctrines by accident. His poor depiction of the world stems from his introverted nature, and as a result he reacts to things differently than anyone normally would. Andy holds no contempt toward anyone, save for those he deems to be rotten by nature. Andy grew up in Lander, Wyoming. * Mike Stearns (Jamie Watson): A sour man and a frequent complainer. In the books, he was a frequent critic of several African American movements, particularly the Black Panthers; this was toned down for the series, but allusions still suffice. Compared to people like Martha and Andy, Mike isn't as misanthropic as them; while Andy and Martha merely comment on something negatively knowing full well they can't do anything about it, Mike is more vocal about his dissatisfaction, to the annoyance of the otherwise silent circle he's in. Mike's from Roswell, New Mexico. * Chris Hancock (Garry Chalk): A downbeat man. Chris tends to be the middleman in his circle, tending to try and stop any confrontation with a quick comment. Chris suffers from depression, something the others have caught on to and they attempt to keep their interactions leveled to avoid setting him off. Unlike Andy or Martha, Chris is an introvert by choice. He was unable to maintain lasting relationships and had a very bad relationship with his father, along with some poorly decided career choices where he had to put up with condescending superiors. That aspect gave him a complex where he immediately rebuffs anyone who's quick to criticize (Andy's an exception to this, possibly because Chris knows Andy does it by nature.) Chris grew up in Eureka, Nevada and works at an electronics store. * Montgomery Proctor (David Hemblen): Sam's father, and a warlock. Monte looks to be in his forties, but it's implied that he's immortal and has lived for several thousand years. Howard suffers from narcolepsy, and is a bit of a milquetoast, not helped by his wife. Unlike her, Monte isn't as wrapped in materialism as Zelda and is more involved in the lives of others in the neighborhood. In spite of his upbringing, Monte no longer has any powers of his own, at least in a major sense; he gave his up to bring Sam back to life after Zelda's ignorance led to the former drowning. In spite of this, Monte remained mostly loyal to Zelda and was oblivious to her infidelity, though he catches onto this near the end of the first season. Monte's from West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. * Muriel MacPherran (Terri Hawkes): Mack's mother. Muriel is a tomboyish woman who has fought in the Vietnam War (disguised as a man), took up work as a fisherman and rode with a motorcycle gang, before getting done in by a one-night stand with a man, leading to an unexpected pregnancy. She settled in Belbury and primarily hangs out with Dakota. Beyond her rough exterior, Muriel is a caring mother who gets along well with her kids and has become something of a godmother to the Mahoneys. A running gag throughout the show is that she always needs to urinate. From Hart, Michigan. Antagonists * Suzy Hellman (Catherine Disher): The prime antagonist. She's a cousin to the Slaatskies, a fact she kept under wraps to preserve her social image. Suzy seems to hate anyone that she deems weird or are a blight on her visions for wealth and power, prompting her to claim no association to people of smaller social standings and even openly attacking her former friends Elizabeth and Dolly. She is in constant denial over her place in the school's social hierarchy, believing herself to be above everyone when she is actually one of the most hated in her school, generally being deemed well out of sync with the rest of her peers. She'd say anything to get respect from others, in spite of hypocritically doing stuff that's against it. Lacking in sympathy, she blew off Elizabeth and Dolly, her only true friends and died after mutating herself to take on Jupiter in the finale. * Zelda Proctor (Tabitha St. Germain): Sam's mother and the antagonist for the first season. The epitome of a bourgeois wife, Zelda is incredibly vein and pretentious. Her feelings are often put toward her husband and daughter, to the point they kicked her out of their house and forced her to live in a guest cottage. Having been raised in New York City, this led to conflicts with the suburbanites embodying the Neighborhood Committee. Zelda had always been against the Weirdos and has attempted to decimate the group by putting them through the same experience the Stakes went through, implied in Suziopath. In Stuffed on You, she cheats on Monte and Andy and Ashley for a time were the only ones who knew about it. She is imprisoned in one of Sam's books as a punishment. * Lars (Andrew Kavadas): A recurring antagonist. Lars abides to classical living standards and holds a blue collar mentality. He is harsh to Francis and anyone who works for him, but he ironically enables them through cryptic demands. Lars also goes after women and shows no respect for others. He had been the only member of the Stakes after the others defected to the committee. Overtime, Lars' mind deteriorates after years of humiliation, and it has an effect on his body. He is iced out financially and his fate is lest unknown after. * Leland Byrd (Jan Rabson): Dakota's ex-husband. Byrd is an eccentric land tycoon who seeks to use youth to construct detention centers for the sake of rehabilitating juvenile delinquents. Filled with (often just) confidence, he makes no effort to stop his enemies from trying to escape, as he takes every route to prevent their escape (even trapping himself as an extra measure.) He makes his last appearance in Suziopath, where he is swayed into leaving Belbury out of his longterm goals and takes his business to Africa, acquiring political dissidents to do his work. Other Prominent Characters * Ashley Yorke (Ashley Taylor): Ashley is a somewhat sociopathic child, taking joy in seeing obnoxious people suffer. She is willing to put down anyone who annoys her, regardless if said person is on good terms with her. As a result, she has very few friends and has no interest in making any new ones. Her hatred of obnoxious people appropriately stems from constant encounters with them growing up; this has even extended to her family, to the point she refuses to even share the same house with them, moving into her treehouse before getting taken in by Andy. The closest she has to friends are Andy due to their cynical behavior and Madison, though the latter seems to have been out of pride as Ashley managed to sedate her in Election Show. Her parents and upper relatives are her polar opposites, being obnoxiously optimistic and friendly, but vicious when questioned. * Fiona Kennedy (Chantal Strand): Francis' other friend. Fiona seems to lack mental stability, showing no reluctance to bring about cruel and unusual punishments to anyone who crosses Francis or any of the other elites. Also tends to act like a dog, something she does to get attention. She is revealed to be poor and lives in a trailer park. Fiona is from Mount Cory, Ohio. *'Georgina Sutcliffe (Tabitha St. Germain):' The school diva. Georgina originally hailed from Yorkshire and was a sheltered, boarding school attendee from a well-off family until they lost ownership of the school. They moved to New Brunswick to start a new life and their daughter would be forced to attend public school. Georgina is a girly-girl, slightly naive due to her still-developing grip on the middle-class town and was nasty for a while, but slowly changed throughout the series. Georgina is a curious girl who isn't afraid to get dirty every now and again, and has a bizarre fondness for gross things. This helped her become friends with Jenny, who considers most gross things on Earth a delicacy, as well as Sam who's work revolves around gross things. A running gag throughout the series is that Georgina always gets hit in the head by a ball. *'Randall Bench (Richard Ian Cox):' A smooth-talking boy who's obsessed with money. Randall is a perfectionist who intends to earn everything through hard work and honesty, but there're times he abandons those principals for a stronger payout. He does work for hire, but has a steady job as a sweeper and a delivery boy. He also has a love interest in Becky, whom he indirectly helped redeem herself. Randall was born in Staten Island, New York. It's said that Randall's characterization is an amalgamation of Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra, especially the former. * Casandra (Nicole Oliver): The most popular student at Belbury Middle School. True to her title, Casandra is an obnoxious airhead, but few want to associate with her. She hardly antagonizes anyone though, and seems to be impatient. * Briana Waloski (Tabitha St. Germain): Daughter of Burt and Jade. Unlike her parents, Briana is wrapped up in her wealth and is quick to put lower class individuals down. Her behavior is due to insecurity; she had been bullied before her parents became rich. Her insults are thinly-veiled cries for friendship, though thankfully she was able to make connections with the Elites. * Monique Broderick (Stacey DePass): She is strangely idolized for her mysterious visage, something that irritates her, though she takes the high road and says nothing about it. Truthfully, she is very shy and finds it hard to hold one on one conversations. She enjoys listening to music and is mostly around for the ride. Is friends with Briana. * Hope Chapley (Nicole Oliver): A haggard teacher at Belbury Middle School, and an occasional antagonist. Like Kerry, she enforces moralism, but to a far grander, often sinister extent, to the point she's willing to let people die just to teach them a lesson. She was formally married to Kerry (apparently done through a shotgun marriage), but he wound up leaving her. In spite of her profession, Hope vehemently hates children, especially her class, directing it the most to Julie and her friends to the point she tries to get them expelled with her attempts either failing to go anywhere or backfiring when they strike back against her. Her efforts led to her getting fired or her pay getting docked, but she always returns by the start of the next episode. Beyond teaching, Ms. Chapley also does maintenance work around the school. It's implied that she rarely leaves the school, but the circumstances behind this were never confirmed. * Daphne Kadic: Cosmo's estranged wife. She is mentioned frequently in each episode but has never been seen. Details on her life were revealed throughout the series from her childhood to her adult years. As a kid, Daphne was a tomboyish girl who loved flowers and often picked on Cosmo. When she turned 25 she left to join the army but was sent out of the battlefield due to her losing her hand in combat. She took a job as a waitress at a diner and reunited with Cosmo, eventually marrying him. Daphne is killed a month prior to the pilot telefilm and it heavily affected Cosmo since then. * Deacon Madigan (Lee Tokar): A typical emo with a dark sense of humor, and one of Jody's best friends. Any depressing musings from are followed with a quick joke and he gets sensitive when confronted. Deacon is more or less socially awkward and he goes with the emo facade to get out of social interactions. * Randy Segar (Matt Hill): Jody's other best friend, and a close equivalent. Randy is a mischievous, cunning boy who somehow always manages to weasel his way out of trouble. * Mercury MacPheran (Bryn McAuley): Mack's eldest sister. Mercury is vanity laden and vain, a harsh contrast to her more tomboyish mother and sister. Although, she greatly opposes others like her who're more obnoxious over looks, and tends to bully said individuals. Mercury is also very insecure and unable to handle jokes done at her expense. She is friends with Adelaide and Linda. * Yorba and Nixon Meeks (Alyson Court and Chuck Campbell respectively): Twin siblings who’re Alison's cousins and Amber’s children. Yorba's a geeky goth girl and is more extroverted compared to Nixon. Yorba is also very naive and emotional, to the point some people make fun of her for it. Yorba became goth to be closer to her brother, but she seems to embrace the fashion more than the other aspects of goth culture. Nixon is more into goth culture than Yorba, and is also into horror. He tends to be brutally honest and spiteful, though only Yorba seems to be receptive to the intentions behind this. Typically the level headed one of the two, the roles tend to reverse in the midst of supernatural circumstances. * Linda Meeks (Kelly Sheridan): Amber's eldest daughter. Linda is an acne-riddled sci-fi geek who makes up for her lower social status by being more headstrong than her compatriots. She is often present in brief visual gags where she's in a relationship with a slacker, Hugh (Yannick Bisson) and both engage in lewd acts. Aside from that, she is friends with Adelaide, and is often used to cover for the latter. * Brian and Dallas Hellman (Scott McNeil and Tabitha St. Germain respectively): Suzy's parents. The two are dark and elusive, always bearing agitated looks. People have been fearful of them due to their living habits or have already crossed their daughter. Truthfully, they're harmless but are unwilling to interact. Brian is a malevolent man who is more than aware of the heritage he comes from and is prone to dark monologues. He is also somewhat liberal and despises the political history of his home state, willing to criticize figures like Barry Goldwater and George Wallace. Dallas is a bit more fierce and has little patience for anyone she feels won't help her in any way. Converse to her husband, Dallas is a staunch Republican but is ironically an atheist. They made their first appearance in Over the Moon and Into the Gutter where they defended Suzy before changing sides when her deception leaked through. Brian is from Tupleo, Mississippi and is the only committee affiliate to come from the deep south. Dallas is from Vale, Oregon and is also the only committee affiliate to come from a West Coast state. * Gutter (Garry Chalk): A superintendent for Belbury Middle School. Gutter is a wealthy and harsh man, but he tries to keep his priorities straight. He cares deeply for the well being of the school and is sensitive over strict figures, having grown up in post-World War II and dealing with shell-shocked authority figures. He only appears in the pilot, where he relays info via the phone and letters, finally appearing at the end where he fires principal Killup after Selma causes him to lose his temper and returning the position to Cosmo. He is seen playing golf during the frog outbreak in Die-Section. Gutter was listed as one of the few people to back Byrd's campaign in Narcissists of the World Unite. In Photo Finished, he is revealed to have been noted by the IRS and he lost his position as superintendent, as Cosmo was shown celebrating his promotion to it in Suziopath. Episodes Pilot Season 1 Began in March of 2001 and ended in January of 2002. Reception The series was initially criticized for promoting anti-social behavior, but was commended for its atmosphere and writing. The show was often referred to as the Canadian equivalent to shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Invader Zim due to its absurdity and dark humor, but has also been compared to Courage the Cowardly Dog. The show garnered criticism due to many of its writers having little to no experience with animated programs, with some accusing Strange of using the show as a money laundering program, using various Vancouver and Toronto residents to get checks from their tax programs, but this was proven false as in spite of the writers holding drastically different professions, Strange hosted a seminar as a transitional exercise. He was never brought up on any charges over government credit abuse and was reported to have returned any leftover money; the show's principal producers were based in Ontario while the extent of Vancouver's participation came from Studio B's animation work and additional actors. Merchandising About a month before the pilot aired, Strange created a promotional flash website. The site contained mini games and biographies on the show's various characters, along with a forum and newsletter. The site's final update came in 2005. It was briefly taken down in 2009 due to Strange re-integrating the website of his former company to his latest one (Gecko Studios' website acted as a portal to that for The Halloween Kids), but came back up thanks to renewed interest in the show after Strange posted its episodes online. Scholastic published a series of books based on the show. Most were adaptations of episodes, others were original stories. These books were released throughout western Canada and most parts of Ontario. A joke book was also released, but only in the UK. * Out Cold * Die-Section * Wart'r You Up To? * Sport Colleen * To Randall, with Fur * Paper Trail * Mahoney I'm Home Strange had a cross-promotion with Payless ShoeSource when the pilot was released. The store was featured prominently throughout the film. Payless released custom shoes featuring art modeled after the show. Dairy Queen released a small collection of figurines at their restaurants. This extended to Canada and far-northern US towns. Home Media The pilot telefilm was released on VHS. The show was never released on home media, but it was made available for free on Strange & Company's website. Category:Fake TV Shows Category:Canadian TV series Category:American TV Series Category:English-language shows Category:Fake TV Shows that air on Real Channels Category:Animated series Category:Animation